Kendua Upazila

Kendua Upazila (netrokona district) area 303.60 sq km, located in between 24°34' and 24°48' north latitudes and in between 90°41' and 90°54' east longitudes. It is bounded by netrokona sadar and atpara upazilas on the north, nandail and tarail upazilas on the south, madan upazila on the east, Nandail, ishwarganj and gauripur upazilas on the west.

Population Total 286594; male 146149, female 140445; Muslim 274229, Hindu 12030, Buddhist 27 and others 303.

Water bodies Main rivers: Baruni, Patkura, Sata; Bainpur, Kila and Chikni' beels are notable.

Administration Kendua Thana was formed 1890 and it was turned into an upazila in 1983.

Upazila
Municipality	Union	Mouza	Village	Population		Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
				Urban	Rural		Urban	Rural
1	13	227	289	19060	267534	944	51.3	31.8

Municipality
Area (sq km)	Ward	Mahalla	Population	Density (per sq km)	Literacy rate (%)
10.64	9	27	19060	1791	51.3

Union
Name of union and GO code	Area (acre)	Population		Literacy rate (%)
		Male	Female
Asujia 11	5661	8728	8376	33.94
Kandiura 47	6029	7778	7398	27.73
Garadoba 33	6257	11233	10866	31.78
Ganda 40	4325	10320	9910	35.97
Chirang 20	5195	10479	10204	35.17
Dalpa 27	5451	10108	9811	35.04
Noapara 74	5311	8516	8081	31.34
Paikura 81	6251	11724	11194	27.88
Balaishimul 13	7154	11114	10772	32.56
Roailbari 88	5911	12501	12066	33.46
Mashka 61	5975	10844	10273	28.73
Muzaffarpur 67	6399	11870	11583	27.70
Sandikona 94	5101	11014	10771	31.74

Source Bangladesh Population Census 2001, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Archaeological heritage and relics Roailbari Jalal Mosque, Ancient Fort (Roailbari union), Kali Mandir and Dighi at Danachapuri, Jafarpur Khoaj Mosque.

History of the War of Liberation In August 1971, the freedom fighters raided the Kendua Police Station and captured a huge amount of arms and ammunitions. On 13 November the freedom fighters captured 12 rifles and arrested 8 razakars from Boser Bazar area of Kendua. On 20 November, the freedom fighters attacked the Pak military camp located on the Patkura Bridge and killed a number of razakars; in this incident one freedom fighter was also killed.

Religious institutions Mosque 390, temple 12, sacred place 2.

Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 33.1%; male 36.2%, female 30.0%. Noted educational institutions: Kendua Degree College (1969), Kendua Joyhori Pilot High School (1832), Asujia JNC High School (1916), Noapara High School (1918), Sandikona Higher Secondary School (1922), Bekhurati Narendakanta High School (1922), Rowshan Ijdani Academy (1965), Janata High School (1965), Ganda Bilateral High School (1968), Gagda High School (1969), Majlishpur High School (1963).

Newspapers and periodicals Desher Dak, Nabanur (defunct).

Cultural organisations Library 1, club 20, women's organisation 1, playground 12.

Main sources of income Agriculture 74.19%, non-agricultural labourer 3.12%, industry 0.54%, commerce 8.66%, transport and communication 2.36%, service 3.79%, construction 0.89%, religious service 0.26%, rent and remittance 0.16% and others 6.03%.

Ownership of agricultural land Landowner 62.21%, landless 37.79%.

Main crops Paddy, potato, wheat, mustard, tobacco, vegetables.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Linseed, sesame, sweet potato, kalai, green peas, arahar.

Main fruits Mango, blackberry, jackfruit, litchi, banana, palm, olive, papaya.

Communication facilities Pucca road 67.22 km, mud road 399.79 km; waterway 7 nautical miles.

Extinct or nearly extinct traditional transport Palanquin, horse carriage, bullock cart.

Noted manufactories Flour mill, ice factory, bakery, welding factory.

Cottage industries Goldsmith, blacksmith, potteries, embroidery, bamboo work, wood work, bidi factory.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 25, fairs 5, most noted of which are Roail Bari Bazar, Chirang Bazar, Rayer Bazar, Basur Bazar, Bakurhati Bazar, Sathie Mela, Boirati Mela, Austami Snan Lokoj Mela and' Kendua Mela.

Main exports Mustard, banana, vegetables.

Access to electricity All the wards and unions of the upazila are under rural electrification net-work. However 15.98% of the dwelling households have access to electricity.

Sources of drinking water Tube-well 76.19%, tap 1.01%, pond 4.24% and others 18.56%. The presence of tolerable level of arsenic has been detected in shallow tube-well water of the upazila.

Sanitation 12.21% (rural 11.71% and urban 23.18%) of dwelling households of the upazila use sanitary latrines and 63.38% (rural 63.33% and urban 64.53%) of dwelling households use non-sanitary latrines; 24.41% of households do not have latrine facilities.

Health centres Upazila health centre 2, satellite clinic 3, health and family welfare centre 13.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, asa, caritas. [Md Abul Hasem Khan]

References Bangladesh Population Census 2001, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics; Cultural survey report of Kendua Upazila 2007.